Updated
Updated · ETF Trends · Jul 10
U.S. Economy Shows Resilience With 4.3% Unemployment as Retail Sales Ex-Auto Rise 0.7%
Updated
Updated · ETF Trends · Jul 10

U.S. Economy Shows Resilience With 4.3% Unemployment as Retail Sales Ex-Auto Rise 0.7%

3 articles · Updated · ETF Trends · Jul 10

Summary

  • Unemployment held at 4.3% as the U.S. economy entered summer with steady labor conditions, stronger-than-expected corporate earnings and continued market resilience.
  • Retail sales excluding autos rose 0.7% in the latest report, underscoring consumer spending strength even as University of Michigan surveys still show weak confidence over inflation and living costs.
  • Manufacturing also steadied near expansionary territory, with April durable goods orders beating expectations on investment tied to AI infrastructure and related technologies.
  • Kevin Warsh, sworn in as Fed chair in May, now faces inflation still above the 2% target, though he has pointed to trimmed-mean measures suggesting underlying price pressures may be milder than headline readings.

Insights

As the Fed eyes new inflation metrics, are we accurately measuring economic health or just changing the ruler?
With consumer savings depleted, how long can resilient spending truly support the U.S. economy?
Is the massive AI investment boom building a new economy or just inflating the next tech bubble?